What Happened on June 14?

The U.S. Army was founded. (1775) Originally called the Continental Army, the U.S. Army is the oldest and largest branch of the United States military.

Auschwitz opened. (1940) The Nazis opened the infamous concentration camp, imprisoning 728 people from Tarnow, Poland — the first residents of the camp. Auschwitz was the largest concentration camp; it's estimated that as many as three million people died there during World War II.

The United States flag was born. (1777) The Stars and Stripes was adopted as the national flag by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Its nicknames include Old Glory and The Star-Spangled Banner, which is also the title of the U.S. national anthem.

Reverend Elijah Craig distilled the first bourbon. (1789) The reverend distilled the whiskey from maize for the first time. The drink is called bourbon because he lived in Bourbon County, Kentucky.

A marijuana tax was established in the United States. (1937) What would end up being the first step in making the drug illegal, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Marihuana Tax Act [sic] — now commonly called the Marijuana Tax Act. The Act taxed anyone selling the drug for an amount costing at least $1 US Dollar (USD). The Act also established rules for sale. Offenders were fined up to $5,000 USD and could face up to five years in jail.

Superman was born. (1938)Action Comics released its first issue and introduced Superman. Action Comics was published by Detective Comics, Inc., known as DC Comics today, and is the second longest running series next to Detective Comics, which is famous for introducing Batman.

Harriet Beecher Stowe was born. (1811) An American author and abolitionist, Stowe famously published the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1852, which described the lives of black slaves in the U.S. It brought the political controversy of slavery to millions and was influential to the anti-slavery movement. President Abraham Lincoln, who brought an end to slavery, famously said to her when they met, "So you're the little lady who started this great war!"

Donald Trump was born. (1946) Trump is a famous American business mogul and television personality. He is perhaps most famous for his real estate developments and being CEO of the Trump Organization. He appears on the American television show The Apprentice, and is known for his famous line, "You're fired!"

Hawaii became a territory. (1900) Hawaii was the last territory to become a state, joining the other 49 states in 1959. It's the only US state that consists only of islands.

The words "under God" were added to the Pledge of Allegiance. (1954) President Dwight D. Eisenhower was responsible for adding the words to the pledge. Interestingly, on this same day in 1943, the United States Supreme Court ruled that school children weren't required to salute the U.S. flag if it would offend their religious beliefs.

The Republic of California was established. (1846) Pre-Gold Rush settlers made the proclamation in Sonoma, which at the time was part of the Mexican province also called California. The U.S. Army took over 26 days after the revolt began.

President Warren G. Harding became the first U.S. President to broadcast on the radio. (1922) In his broadcast, the President dedicated the Francis Scott Key Memorial at Fort McHenry.

Mutiny on the Bounty happened. (1789) The crew of the HMS Bounty, a British Royal Navy ship, revolted against their captain because they found their captain oppressive and wanted to live in the paradise that is Tahiti. Perhaps the most well-known mutiny, this episode has been the subject of many famous movies and books. 19 people survived the mutiny by traveling 4,000 miles (7,400 kilometers) in a small boat.

Boy George was born. (1961)Boy George is a British pop star and singer-songwriter. He perhaps is most famous for his band Culture Club in the 1980s.